Book description

It's the first great mystery: where did you come from? How did your cells know what to build? What are bones made from? When did your eyes start working, and what did they see?
Join Katharina Vestre on an adventure to relive your very first moments. From your first cell to your first breath, this is your story as you have never heard it before.
Did you know that it took three attempts to make your kidneys? Or that tiny twirling hairs on your back showed your other organs where to go? Or that hiccups are probably a legacy from our ancient, underwater ancestors?
With the help of some cutting-edge science and a wry sense of humour, Vestre reveals all this and more. Like: how sperm know which way to swim. Why sex and gender are more complicated than one might think. What you have in common with every living being, and why you are unique.
Set off on a true voyage of discovery through an inner universe whose secrets we are still unravelling. A miniature drama of cosmic significance, this is the amazing story of how you became you. Vestre has a rare talent for breaking down complex biology and turning it into something captivating and compelling -- Linda Geddes, Bumpology Tremendously enjoyable... From Hox genes to glial cells, The Making of You wears its evident scholarship lightly -- Jessie Greengrass, Sight Ideal reading for anyone who was ever an embryo -- Matthew Cobb, Life's Greatest Secret Captivating * The Bookseller * Engrossing... has the knack of sparking wonder * Nature *